


The price of seconds

by AngstySuperSoldierGodmother



Category: Shaman King (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Grief/Mourning, I honestly just think they have such an intense friendship, I would've loved to see them grow up and see them being bffs as adults!, Murder, mentioned soul-eating..? like i don't think that in itself is a tag so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:29:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25835014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngstySuperSoldierGodmother/pseuds/AngstySuperSoldierGodmother
Summary: What might have been Ren Tao's inner monologue the day that Yoh Asakura died.
Relationships: Asakura Yoh & Tao Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	The price of seconds

**Author's Note:**

> I.. really don't know what this is about?? I don't even watch anime that much anymore!
> 
> However, I got nostalgic and I remembered Shaman King was one of my faves from when I was a kid and I revisited a couple of my favorite moments. Ren and Yoh's friendship was always my favorite relationship on the show.. I always felt that it ran deeper than most of the other friendships and I always thought about how absolutely awful it must've been for Ren especially to lose Yoh. Anyway, so here's what I think could've been what ran through Ren's head when they failed to get on time to save Yoh from Hao!

We hear the scream.

The scream is what makes our blood run cold.

I stop hearing our frantic footsteps hitting the ground, a sound so clear only a second ago.

I stop hearing our laboured breaths.

I stop hearing the sound of wind whooshing through the air as we run, run, run as fast as our feet can carry us up that hill.

All I hear is a distinct ringing in my ears. That, and the beat of my thundering heart in my chest. Both sounds meshing into a chaotic symphony that only serves to disorient me as I try my best to keep going just a little longer. We are coming. I am here for you. We are all here for you just like you've been here for us. For all of us. For me. 

I thought I'd seen you, just for a second, a few moments ago. Before the ringing. Before the scream.

I thought I'd seen the blue flash of your foryoku cut through the air.. and the flash of his.

Had I imagined it?

Had it been real?

It doesn't matter, because you scream. You scream in a way I'd never heard you scream before. The sound you make is one I didn't know you were capable of making, and I feel like the ground has given up under my feet.

I keep going out of sheer force of will. I make my legs keep going, keep running, even though I no longer feel the ground under me.

The vision in front of me--in front of all of us-- clears.

It's you.

And in my haze, it becomes difficult to ascertain which one of you is you for a moment. Standing, or kneeling--he looks so much like you. 

My brain refuses to process what my eyes see. Which one is it?

Standing?

Or kneeling?

Then my eyes fix on the headphones.

Your headphones

falling

falling

falling

until they hit the ground with a loud thud.

And it becomes impossible to not know who you are.

You are kneeling.

Your face is relaxed, only a ghost of pain remains on your features.

Because you are gone.

He... he has eaten your soul.

I dare not look at the others. Nothing can tear my gaze away from your form.

Kneeling.

Before him.

Arms limp.

Face expressionless.

Your hair is still bunched up in the hand he used to hold you up as he ripped into your very very essence and tore you apart from your body only to take you for himself.

And by taking you away from your body, he has taken you away from all of us.

I don't remember having stopped, but I have stopped.

The ringing is unbearable.

I want to tear my ears off, but I can't even move.

I can't even look away.

We were late.

It only took a few seconds.

My best friend.. the best person I have ever met...

...is gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't be sad! Remember it's only temporary! :D


End file.
